Tuesday, 18 May 2010

Potato-Shaped Love

I'm a lucky lucky thing, this I have been sure of for quite a while now.

I have a man who brings me tasty cereals when I'm sad. Someone to explore bookshops with, eat porridge with and read poetry with. Someone who even writes poetry for me. Someone who drops in at work to bring me carrots and celery when I have run out.

Indeed, he'll come and play badminton with me (and let me off when I play badly) even after an arduous day at work. He never puts football or computer games before me, and has often walked home in torrential rain, deep snow and gusting winds at all hours of the night after spending a little too long at my house.

Every Tuesday he volunteers after work at a local reading group, where he reads about football, steam trains and wartime heroics with eccentric old men, who he always has time for. He arrives at my house for tea after a working day longer than any I have ever known and I treat him to some homecooked grub. I usually use this opportunity to test out some new recipes, and there have been some successes and some failures. But he always gobbles it up, even if I've added way too much chilli or its soggy or a little on the overcooked side. Despite his awesomeness and the many opportunities I have had to treat him to his favourite food, I never have. How terrible I am! (in fact, many of our arguments are based upon the useless nature of this said food, and how there's no need to cook it as it serves no purpose neither health-wise nor taste-wise!)

Until today! Today, for the first time, I treated Daniel to some 'lovely potatoes', and me-oh-my were they good! Jersey Royals are in season at the moment, and since they were on offer in the supermarket, I decided that this would be the week - especially appropriate as we are heading to Ireland on Thursday! I even managed to follow a recipe (almost) exactly, making for what was one of the tastiest potato experiences in my memory!

Jersey Royals in the Bag: so simple!

Pre-heat oven to 180C and prepare a few sheets of baking parchment on the worksurface. Scrub the Jersey Royal potatoes and add a portion-size to each piece of parchment. Put a little bit of butter in each potato-package and season with salt and pepper (and fresh parsley if you have it, which I didn't), then wrap up into a parcel and place on a baking tray in the oven for 35-40 minutes.

I served these with more red lentils, this time simmered with celery, coriander, onion and LOTS of garlic to make a stew. And lots of fresh crunchy veggies!

I thought this was a labour of love, but it turns out that Daniel was being awesome bi-proxy by introducing me to the joys of a good potato.